1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to containments for coins, medals, ingots and like articles constituted of precious metals, as well as for precious stones, pearls or stamps of philatelic value; and more specifically, relates to a safety case incorporating a protective device enabling certification of the authenticity and mint condition of the contained item. Coins, medals and the like which are struck from gold, silver or platinum have always been purchased by collectors, especially when there is a rise in the quotation as to the price of the metal in question, for their maintenance in private collections, with the possibility that these coins and medals may later on be put up for sale when their quotation affords for the making of an appreciable profit. The foregoing also applies not only to the trade or sale of ingots, generally of gold or platinum, but also of precious stones and pearls and to the sale of stamps possessing an intrinsic philatelic value.
The vast majority of these transactions causes considerably difficulties, because it is necessary to initially investigate, for each single item of sale, the characteristics or properties thereof; in effect, numismatic or philatelic, which are set forth not only by the seller but also resulting from the legend on the coin, medal, ingot or the like, or on the stamp. For instance, these characteristics may be the metallic composition and content, size, dating, weight, face value, and grading; as well as the denomination of the coin, medal, ingot and the like. Thus, for coins it is necessary to check, inter alia, whether the precious metal item has or not lost, to any appreciable extent, its mint bloom, which is peculiar to a freshly struck or similarly produced piece. It is known that, in conformance with subjective standards, the absence of scratches, bag marks and the like, or of other disqualifying or value-lowering wear marks resulting from circulation, must be ascertained on the obverse and reverse side of each piece. Obviously, a high quality is guaranteed at the time of issue for all pieces by the mint or precious metal foundry, or at least by the dealer, as the first seller to the public, which seller is usually either a bank or a numismatic association. However, with the successive circulation, such a guarantee of authenticity and mint condition is obviously lost, on the one hand, because circulation offers an opportunity to potentially dishonest people to circulate counterfeits or pieces possessing lesser values than those indicated in the legend, and on the other hand, because most pieces, even if made from the original material, already evidence aesthetic blemishes from wear and handling as a result of their circulation.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
Consequently, the need for accurate, although subjective, preliminary inspection of each piece results in a slowdown in sales or trade transactions, which cannot be carried out within realistic or practical time periods due to price variations, and upon occasion, potential purchasers are discouraged from acting on the fluctuating market because of the excessively time-consuming controls employed after the initial offer. Up to the present, a single coin, medal, ingot or the like of precious metal such as gold, silver and platinum, was usually contained within a cover or closure of plastic sheeting, formed by two superimposed elements, at least one of which was transparent for visual access to the interposed piece, the elements being bonded at least along their edges so as to enclose the piece from the time of its coinage or production, or at least from its first sale to the public. Even if the cover containing the coin, medal or ingot was applied from the time of the coinage or production, or first sale to the public, this would not represent a guarantee as to the origin and authenticity of the piece, inasmuch as the latter could have been easily replaced in the cover due to the absence of any valid seal or of impregnable security elements, and because the cover could be opened in a non-destructive manner, with the always potential substitution of the original piece contained therein. Such a cover, even if properly sealed, was always subject to the suspicion that a forced opening had already occurred, with the consequent necessity of opening the same for a direct investigation of the piece prior to its purchase.
In order to eliminate the above-mentioned disadvantages, and to provide for the safeguarding of a security case or receptacle; the latter may be provided with a device, adapted to expose in an immediate, assured and permanent manner any opening or attempted opening thereof at any location on the case, so as commencing from the time of issue the guarantee of origin by the agency effecting coinage or preparation of the piece or item, or at least by the first dealer, as well as the original mint condition or quality of preparation, may be permanently ensured for each piece which is circulated within such an intact case.